VF-66? Unless you have followed this blog for a spell, or enjoy delving into the obscure as do, you probably have not heard of VF-66, with the squadron name of the "Firebirds." (VF-66 posts HERE) Yet, near the end of the Second World War, this squadron was being formed to fly a new type of plane, a hybrid piston and jet engine fighter known as the Fireball. As this squadron, and its mount, were being worked up rapidly to take on the increasing kamikaze threat, the vast majority of the pilots were being pulled from existing units, and some of these poached pilots were already aces.
The squadron commander, Lieutenant John F. Gray, had served in Task Force 58 (VF-5) as a Hellcat pilot, racking up 8.25 victories (one source, the Squadron/Signal MINI in Action that covers the Fireball, mentions twenty-four kills). Gray was allowed to pull men from his own flight from VF-5, and then also was able to handpick others. New pilots were designated to remain stateside and train for another FR-1 squadron, but this second squadron never came into being as the war ended and the contracts to build additional Fireballs were cancelled.
With about twenty pilots in the squadron, 70% had seen combat, and six had shot down five or more aircraft prior to joining the squadron. Those aces serving with VF-66 are as follows.
John T. Gray - 8.25 (VF-5)
Kenneth G. Hippe - 5
Collin Oveland - 5 (VF-24)
LeRoy W. "Rocky" (or Robby) Robinson - 5 (VF-2)
James S. Swope - 9.66
John T. Wolf - 7 (VF-2)
Aircrew quality for hypothetical scenarios would either rate as veteran (+2) or skilled (+1). I like to rate 40+ kills as Experten, 20-39 kills as aces, 5-19 kills as veterans, and 1-4 kills, or well trained pilots, as skilled.
